


Next to Me

by hope27



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Marriage, Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-07
Updated: 2013-08-07
Packaged: 2017-12-22 16:39:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/915532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hope27/pseuds/hope27
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even after Oliver and Felicity are together, engaged and then married, the press continued to look for a story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Next to Me

**Author's Note:**

> FLUFF WARNING! As always, I love the hear what you guys think so leave me a comment if you'd like! 
> 
> This one came out of no where, but I do recommend listening to Emile Sande's acoustic version of this song...it' where I got my inspiration.
> 
> Lyrics belong to Emile Sande. Characters belong to DC Comics and the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

_You won't find him drink in' at the tables_  
Rolling dice and staying out 'til three  
You won't ever find him being unfaithful  
You will find him, you'll find him next to me  
You won't find him trying to chase the devil  
For money, fame, for power, out of grief  
You won't ever find him where the rest go  
You will find him, you'll find him next to me 

 

They’d been together for four years. They’d known each other for six. They’d been married for one.

Shortly after they’d gotten engaged, a story had run in the Starling City Sentential that Oliver Queen was still a notorious partier. A doctored picture of him shutting down one of the local casinos with two beautiful women at his side and a bottle of Champaign in his hand graced the front page.

He’d showed up at her office with a pinched look on his face hours two hours after he’d dropped her off at work on the way to a meeting across town. She’d already seen the headline.

“I know,” she replied. “And even if I hadn’t known where you were last night, I could easily see the photoshopped parts of the photograph. If that’s their version of quality, they need to find better graphic designers.”

She kept her eyes glued to her computer screen until he laid a hand on her arm, and then she jumped and stared up at him, meeting his concerned azure eyes. 

“It’s fine, Oliver,” she whispered, but her voice betrayed a little of her hurt and annoyance. 

She balled her hands into fists and swiped angrily at her eyes. “You’d think I’d be used to this by now.”

Oliver had hauled her to him, reminding her that they didn’t matter. And that he loved her. He kissed the worries from her mind and then took her to lunch early. 

They’d gotten married seven months later.

And still the tabloids tried everything they could to get a story on Oliver Queen cheating on Felicity Smoak.

“I was holding your hand in that picture,” she grumbled, annoyed at the loud cover of the most popular tabloid and threw it on the desk at the Foundry.

Arms snaked around her waist and pulled her back into familiar warmth. His breath ghosted over her ear and she let herself relax into his embrace. 

“It doesn’t matter what they think. You know where my heart belongs,” he told her, twining his fingers with hers and pressing a kiss to her temple.

“With me,” she breathed out, and felt the hum of affirmation from his reply against her back.

“Always,” he murmured before turning her in his arms and pressing his lips to hers, his hands slipping from hers to the edge of her shirt and tugging it free of its confines so he could feel her skin beneath his fingers.

She smiled against his lips, all thoughts of stupid tabloids and ridiculous stories immediately forgotten as she let herself get overtaken by her feelings for her husband.

_When the end has come and building falling down fast_  
When we spoilt the land and dried up all the sea  
When everyone has lost their heads around us  
You will find him you'll find him next to me  
Never in my life have I met someone like him  
I'm blown away by his love for me  
If you ever wonder where it is you'll find him  
You will find him, you will find him next to me 

 

Felicity received calls from newspapers every now and then wanting the exclusive on their love story or Oliver’s latest plans for the club and company. Most of the time, she declined. A few of the times, she didn’t have a choice and had to do press for fundraisers or the like.

It was at one of these that a strikingly blonde-haired reporter started to get nosy. 

“There have been a lot of stories running in the paper lately about your husband’s late night activities - leaving his club with girls on his arm or having secret meetings - do you have anything to say to that?” The woman’s fake smile set her on edge and she wanted to stand up and walk away, ignoring it all. But she had agreed to the interview and knew walking away would not look good in person or paper.

“They’re lies,” she replied firmly, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice. “I know exactly where my husband is every night.”

“And where is that?” The woman hedged.

Felicity smiled confidently. “Next to me.”

The woman looked surprised for a moment before picking up where she left off, eyes narrowing as she continued. “Really? Every night?”

“Yes,” Felicity replied shortly. “Every night. Unless he’s on a business trip - which I often accompany him on - he’s next to me, in our bed, every night.”

“You keep him on quite a tight leash then don’t you?” Felicity almost rolled her eyes at that barb.

“No, it’s where he wants to be,” she answered coolly. “And you’re free to ask him that yourself.”

The young reporter narrowed her eyes, but nodded her head. “I’ll do that.”

“How about the night the Glade’s came down?” she asked abruptly, throwing a curveball at Felicity. “Was he with you then? It’s still never been reported where he was that night.”

Felicity stumbled slightly, opening her mouth and frowning, before speaking. “We weren’t together then. We were friends, but… he lost his best friend that night in a plan that was hatched by one of his own parents. He was out on the streets helping. That much I know. But he was also grieving.”

“And is that when your relationship changed?” the woman asked pointedly and Felicity tilted her head.

This woman seemed to know more than most about her relationship with Oliver, but she wasn’t going to give her anything of value to work with and so she continued her answers with the barest of details.

“If you’re asking if I saw him that night, the answer is yes. As I already told you, we were friends,” she replied easily, remembering the pain in his eyes when he finally made it back to the Foundry that night, and the way he held onto her, sobs wracking both of their bodies.

“And, finally, Mrs. Queen, how do you know your husband has changed from his philandering ways?” The question hung in the air between them for a moment as Felicity contemplated her answer. 

There were so many ways Oliver Queen was not that same man he’d been before the island. But most of them she couldn’t share - wouldn’t share with the sharks in the news media.

“Because our relationship is built on trust and love,” she finally replied softly. 

Just then Oliver appeared behind her, giving a pointed look to the woman reporter. “I think that’s more than enough time,” he stated, offering Felicity a hand which she gratefully took.

They were about to leave when the blonde woman stopped them. 

“She told me to ask you, Mr. Queen. When I asked Mrs. Queen how she knows the tabloid stories are a lie, she told me because you are next to her, every night. Is that true?”

Oliver looked at his wife and smiled. Without looking back at the reporter, he nodded. “Every night.”

“Why?” she followed it up.

“Because I love her. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Felicity leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips, one hand trailing through the soft hairs at the nape of his neck.

And when they parted, he swept her up in his arms and carried her out to the car where Diggle waited with smiling eyes.

“It’s where I belong,” he murmured softly when they were safely inside. She sat on his lap and smoothed down his lapels.

Felicity crinkled her eyebrows at his words.

“Next to you. It’s where I belong,” he explained and Felicity felt something deep inside her agree with that sentiment, her heart fluttering in her chest as she took in the gorgeous man in front of her who she could call her own.

“Yes. Next to me.” She sealed her declaration with a kiss and couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her throat at the happiness she felt.

 

__

I will find him, will find him next to me


End file.
